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Friday, February 13, 2015

Going to the Temple, Because Curtis is going on a Mission!

Two Things I am Grateful For:

1) For Temple Ordinances! Today is a very special day. Our youngest son is going through the temple for the first time today and we are very excited!!!2) Our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who is the only man on earth that holds sacred Priesthood keys that we can only receive in a temple of God. What a blessing they are to all who receive them.

From the Camera:

Curtis gets to walk through these doors for the first time today. Sure, he has been to the temple for baptisms but that door is on another side of the temple. Today Curtis goes through the front door with the rest of us. Eventually we will walk through those doors for the first time with Danielle and Lexi too. This is an exciting day for sure!!!

From the Heart:

In keeping with our theme, acts of kindness, here is another idea....

Since most energy is dependent on fossil fuels, such as gas or oil, using energy adds to environmental pollution. There are many things you can do at home to help conserve energy and thus lessen pollution. Every little bit helps!

Benefits:

By doing your part in conserving energy you will know that you are helping to make a difference in the world. Your actions may inspire others as well!

Step It Up:

There are so many ways to conserve energy; try these ways below. Share these ideas with your friends, too, and compete to see who can save the most energy! Here are some ways you can save energy at home:

Turn off lights that aren't in use

Unplug appliances when they aren't being used

Watch less television

Air dry your clothing

Use the computer less

Only run the dishwasher when it is full (or better yet wash and dry by hand!)

Recycle and reuse!

Keep It Simple:

Try just one thing from the list above. Then, gradually add a new thing in each month. When you successfully start making these changes you will get excited and want to make more. Share that success with your friends and family and encourage them to try it out, too.

From the Kitchen:

Momma's Easy No Yeast Dinner Rolls:

1 Cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp of salt

1/2 Cup milk

2 Tablespoons Mayo

Combine all ingredients, spoon in to a greased muffin pan, makes approx. (5) rolls. cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or till done and golden brown.

From the Spirit:

“Most of us, most of the time, speak of the facility at Liberty as a “jail” or a “prison”—and certainly it was that. But Elder Brigham H. Roberts of the First Council of the Seventy, in recording the history of the Church, spoke of the facility as a temple, or, more accurately, a “prison-temple.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell used the same phrasing in some of his writings. Certainly this prison-temple lacked the purity, beauty, comfort, and cleanliness of our modern temples. The speech and behavior of the guards and criminals who came there were anything but temple-like. In fact, the restricting brutality and injustice of this experience at Liberty would make it seem the very antithesis of the liberating, merciful spirit of our temples and the ordinances performed in them.

So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a “temple,” and what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced.”

Jeffrey R. Holland – From a CES Fireside given on September 7, 2008, at Brigham Young University – Reprinted in September 2009 Ensign “Lessons from Liberty Jail,” pg. 28.

This quote really encourages us to strive to have the Spirit with us no matter where we are. Being in the temple is one of those obvious places where we can feel the Spirit, but if we can feel the Spirit where ever we are, we can make our surroundings a revelatory and instructive experience. Don’t wait till you go to the temple to listen for the Lord teaching you and guiding you. He will do that no matter where you are.

From the Schmidt's:

Today is the day Curtis goes through the temple for the first time. All the way through, well....as far as he can go until he gets sealed to his future spouse. This is a proud Momma moment, and we are super excited for! I think Curtis is just as excited as the rest of us too. He makes me laugh. Kevin was saying last night that we think Curtis would leave tomorrow for his mission if he was ready and could do that. He is just so happy and so excited to be doing what the Lord wants him to do and we are we couldn't be more proud of him. It is such a thrill to see a young man anxious to serve the Lord. It's awesome! Kevin shared this quote with me today....the Lord doesn't expect perfection, he expects progression.

We have Danielle coming over soon to spend time with Lexi while all of us are at the temple. Then later on she will come and bring Lexi down to the temple so we can spent some time together as a family taking pictures of Curtis. We aren't making the girls get all dressed up yet. We will do a family photo later on just before Curtis leaves. I'm not quite ready for that yet. Soon though.

Tomorrow is another busy day for us. Or should I say,....busy day for Kevin. His back and his situation is a concern for him and the rest of us too. We both have eye appointments. It will be a long weekend for Kevin. I'm worried about him and his back today. Hopefully all will be well. I tried to get him to consider a wheelchair for the day, but he refused. He wants to escort Curtis and do the whole thing with him. We are taking his walker but he doesn't want to have to use it. The man stresses me out sometimes. Just take the walker! Please. Better safe than sorry I say. My husband can be a little stubborn sometimes. Why he thinks he can go without a walker is beyond me. Silly man!

Well, I need to go. Time to start getting ready for our exciting evening. I couldn't think of a better place to be then at the temple just before Valentine's Day. Love that! Take care and we will talk to you soon.

My Next D.I.Y. Project

Rag Rug....

Treat your feet to a comfy homemade rag rug. Check your local thrift shop for colorful sheets to use as material.

MATERIALS:

- 3 old king-size flat sheets (or extra if they are fitted)

- sturdy corrugated cardboard, approximately 20 x 28 inches

- tapestry needle or masking tape

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut grooves into the short sides of the cardboard 1/2 inch apart and 2 inches deep. Make the first and last groove about 2 inches from the outer edges of the box for reinforcement. This is your loom.

2. Cut or tear sheets into strips that are 1 to 2 inches wide.

3. Place 12 fabric strips (fewer for a thinner rug) in each groove on the loom leaving a 6 inch tail at each end. Alternate colors to make a pattern. Reserve some fabric strips for weaving.

4. Take a strip from the reserve pile and slot into the eye of a tapestry needle. If you do not have a tapestry needle, you can place a piece of tape at the end of the strip for easy weaving.

5. Secure the tail end in the first groove of the frame. Begin passing the weaving strip through the bottom of the first bunch, then over the top of the next bunch and so on until you have weaved through all warp (strips running lengthwise) bunches. Make sure the weaving strip passes completely under and over each strip in a bunch.

6. Rotate the cardboard frame and continue weaving the next row with another strip. If you ended the previous strip at the bottom of the last warp bunch, then begin your second row going over the top.

7. Pull the warp bunches vertically to straighten them up as you go.

8. Continue weaving until you have completed the piece.

9. Weave the last row in close to the previous row with the needle up or down to make a crisscross with the previous strip, pull the weaving strip and tie the warp strips in place. Do the same on the other end of the rug, except you will need to tie and knot a new strip to lengthen the first weaving strip.

10. Hide weaving strips in warp strips by passing through the strips within the weave.

11. Take the woven rug out of the loom by lifting all strips from the slots.